Abstracts and presentations are embargoed for release at date and time of presentation or time of AHA/ASA news event. Failure to honor embargo policies (http://newsroom.heart.org/newsmedia/embargo-policy) will result in the abstract being withdrawn and barred from presentation.

Moderated Poster Abstract PresentationsSession Title: Nutrition

Abstract MP16: Adherence to Healthy Lifestyle Factors is Associated With a Lower Risk of Death Among US Male Physicians With Type 2 Diabetes

Jump to

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have suggested that adherence to a healthy lifestyle is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. However, it is unknown whether a combination of healthy lifestyle after the diagnosis of diabetes is associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that healthy modifiable lifestyle factors are associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality in people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 1,160 male physicians from the Physicians’ Health Study with prevalent type 2 diabetes. Smoking habits, body mass index, exercise frequency, and alcohol consumption were assessed via questionnaire, and diet was assessed via a food frequency questionnaire between 1999 and 2002. Death was ascertained by an endpoint committee. Healthy lifestyle factors were defined as: 1) never or past smoking, 2) body mass index <25 kg/m2, 3) vigorous physical activity 1+ days/week, alcohol consumption of 1-2 drinks/day, and 5) being in the top two quintiles of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index score. We used Cox regression to estimate multivariable adjusted hazard ratios of death according to each lifestyle factor, and total number of healthy lifestyle factors met.